The environmental assessment certificates come with a variety of conditions to mitigate the effect to local wildlife, forests and marine life.

They do not necessarily mean the projects will be built, as the companies involved have yet to make final investment decisions on the multi-billion-dollar pipelines and facilities proposed as part of their LNG ambitions.

The government approvals include the 900 km, $5-billion, Prince Rupert Gas Transmission line by TransCanada PipeLines Ltd. It would run between Hudson’s Hope and the proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG facility near Prince Rupert.

Pacific NorthWest, which is majority owned by industry giant Petronas of Malaysia, still needs federal environmental approval for the LNG plant, and that has been delayed while the company modified its design for a jetty and terminal at Lelu Island to address environmental concerns.

Pacific NorthWest president Michael Culbert said he welcomed the approval.

The entire LNG project is worth an estimated $36 billion.

Natural Gas Development Minister Rich Coleman and Finance Minister Mike de Jong visited Petronas’s headquarters in Malaysia earlier this month to continue discussions with the company, which has said it hopes to make a final investment decision on the project by the end of the year.

The government also gave environmental approval for Westcoast Connector Gas Transmission Ltd.’s 100-km, $7.5-billion, natural gas pipeline from northeastern B.C.’s Cypress Area to a Prince Rupert LNG terminal on Ridley Island proposed by BG Group.

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Petronas-led LNG project clears B.C. environmental hurdles

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